1995 Mercedes-Benz SL280 Convertible

Ever since the debut of the original 300 SL ‘Gullwing’ back in 1954, the SL has remained Mercedes-Benz’s flagship sports car and continues to set the benchmark for technology, luxury and performance more than six decades on. The fourth generation SL, dubbed the R129 in Stuttgart’s coding system, was unveiled to a rapturous reception at the 1989 Geneva Motor Show, packed with high-tech features and clean, aerodynamic styling. With typically Germanic thoroughness, the new SL had been exhaustively developed and tested and the innovative new automatic roll bar, activated in a split second in the event of a rollover, one of the first seen on any passenger car. The folding soft top was now powered by an electro-hydraulic system activated at the touch of a button, taking just 30 seconds to raise or lower, while every SL came with a detachable aluminium hardtop, complete with heated rear glass. The R129’s all new suspension featured a sophisticated five-arm multi-link set-up at the rear and an Adaptive Damping System, while ABS was now standard across the range. The interior was suitably well appointed, with standard luxury features including leather upholstery, airbags, electric seats, automatic climate control, electric windows and even a wind deflector, plus a premium Bose sound system on certain models. Initially the R129 SL line-up consisted of two models, the six-cylinder 300SL and V8 500SL, with the range-topping 600 SL, featuring a 48-valve V12 motor under the bonnet, added in July 1992. The 300SL was simultaneously replaced with two new variants, the SL280 and SL320, in 1993, the former powered by a DOHC 24-valve six developing 194 horsepower at 5500rpm and it became the only R129 model available with the option of a manual transmission. As a sophisticated sports roadster, the R129 SL represents excellent value and these early cars also have the advantage of the superb build quality Daimler Benz was renowned for, something lost on cars built later in the 1990s.